- Niladri Bije marks their re-entry, appeasing Lakshmi with rasgulla.
Lord Jagannath’s world-famous Rath Yatra began on July 16, 2026. It will conclude on July 27 with the Niladri Bije tradition. This grand religious festival lasts for nine days. On the first day of the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and his sister Devi Subhadra depart from the Srimandir on their grand chariots for the Gundicha Temple. After spending nine days at the Gundicha Temple, the three idols return to the Srimandir after a pilgrimage. After returning from his pilgrimage, Lord Jagannath does not directly ascend his throne. Before this, the ritual of Niladri Bije is performed, which is considered the final and most important ritual of the Rath Yatra. On this day, special rituals are performed to mark Lord Jagannath’s re-entry into the Srimandir. Let’s learn about Niladri Bije, its religious significance, and its supposed connection to Goddess Lakshmi.
What Is Neeladri BJ?
The Niladri Mahavidya is considered an important text of the Jagannath sect. It contains information related to the Srimandir and its annual policies. According to it, Niladri Bije means the Blue Mountain on which the Jagannath Temple is located. Bije, in Odia, means to enter or to reside. When Jagannath Ji returns to the Srimandir after completing his journey, a special ritual is performed before placing the idols in the sanctum sanctorum, this is called Neeladri Bije.
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Neeladri Bije’s Relationship With Goddess Lakshmi
According to Jagannath Temple tradition, when Lord Jagannath returns to the Srimandir, Goddess Lakshmi is displeased with him because he did not take her with him. It is said that Goddess Lakshmi first closes the temple doors. Lord Jagannath then offers his wife a sweet and soft rasgulla made of cottage cheese and sugar syrup to appease her. This emotional banter and reunion ritual is called Niladri Bije. The most famous tradition of Niladri Bije is the offering of rasgulla
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Pleased by the Lord’s loving request, Goddess Lakshmi opens the temple doors. The Lord then enters the Srimandir and sits on the throne. In memory of this, the tradition of offering Rasgulla to Lord Jagannath is still observed on Niladri Bije. The Jagannath Rath Yatra concludes with Niladri Bije.
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